Waiting, resting and nesting

I'm just a week away from my due date but I've learned that doesn't mean much, our babies have arrived in a range from two weeks early to two weeks late.  I'm trying to find a balance between being overly prepared and impatient, and having to frantically rush around the house unprepared in the early stages of labor. I've experienced both.  So here is a record of week 38 and how we passed the time.

The girls have kept me laughing practicing their yoga partner poses.  These are from their yoga pretzel cards  and they had me laughing even harder as they pulled out a card and suggested I attempt it with our favorite neighbor Beth who was visiting.  

  

We also visited a newborn horse at a neighboring farm.  

And gave lots of attention to this mare who is due to give birth any day now..... I felt a kinship.  

We then celebrated George's 2nd birthday.  He doesn't really look like himself with blisters still healing from the hand foot mouth virus.  He also has really puffy eyes from lack of sleep, and his lack of sleep = lack of sleep for me which put me in no mood to sew a felt birthday crown (I may let that tradition keep to itself in 2011).  Thank you Maryanna for putting the stickers and construction paper to good use!  We celebrated simply with lots of hugs and happy birthday singing.   Besides a few new trains what more could a 2 year old boy want?   

Here is a better picture taken just a week before on Peter's birthday.   This boy seems to always be in his jammies and always getting into food.  

Somewhere along the week I persuaded the boys to help me clean out the homeschool room closet.  In the process they rediscovered zometool and have been building ever since.

Maryanna's been helping me "stock" up.  We made chicken stock, beef stock, batch of falafels x4, batch of waffles x5, muffins, and ziplock baggies of rice pilaf.  And washed a lot of dishes.

Martin Luther King day was a major clean up day.  While Paul was off with the younger children at Costco the older ones helped me wash windows, scrub the tub, mop the floors and even vacuum under the beds.  Their reward was to pick out a new mural from art projects for kids, they picked Kandinsky's circles.  

I also got Paul to finally hang a pile of pictures.  I'm still waiting for the growth chart to go up and for him to also finish some shelves and put together the co-sleeper and fix the side gate..... the list could go on but there is something about the last weeks of pregnancy that really pushes projects.

 I also realized here that the younger children are unfairly represented on our wall, Henry pointed it out to me as well. 

And finally our second batch of paper whites popped.  Our first batch we planted the first week of December and I told the kids Christmas would be here when the paper whites bloomed - and it worked with perfect timing.  This second batch was planted only 3 weeks ago and I told them the baby would be here when they bloomed.  But this winter has been unusually warm and it looks like they popped before I did.  They smell yummy and it seems the girls have been keeping their room unusually tidy since they've bloomed.    

Not sure what next week holds, we've got plans but also the plan to break plans.  One thing is sure, I'm experiencing a strange aversion to the sewing machine right now so the list of sewing projects I planned to keep me busy before the baby may not happen.  Maybe it's time to pick up the knitting needles or paint brush again.........or maybe I'll just sit and do nothing.  Which might be a good idea since week 38 was pretty busy.

Herbsicles

We were hit with a few nasty viruses this week.  And since I am less than two weeks away from my due date my midwife gave me some good tips on nursing everyone back to health, herbsicles was one of them.

First I brewed up a big batch of family immunity tea.  This one included what I had on hand but there are many variations.  Below is a mix of echinacea, nettles, oat straw, red clover, rose hips, red raspberry and alfalfa.  Just before bringing it to a boil I turned off the heat and covered it letting it steep for around 4 hours.

After the herbs were strained (and then reserved for the chicken scrap pile) we were left with a strong beverage.  I mixed a little with berry juice and encouraged Paul to finish a tall glass of it.  He did with all sorts of gasps and great facial expressions. 

I don't mind drinking bitter herb blends but just like Paul most my kids won't take it alone.  I was generous with the spoonfuls of raw honey I added because not only does it add sweetness but raw honey is also an immunity booster (still I would not serve raw honey to babies under 1).

Usually I'd just serve this infusion up as a beverage but since we were dealing with sore throats and sores in the mouth I poured it into popsicle molds.  

George and Henry have been clearing the nasty Hand-Foot-Mouth virus where it is so painful to eat and drink that there is risk of dehydration.  I was very pleased to see both of them consume a couple of these herbsicles with no problem.  I had to make a few batches to keep up with the demand because even the older kids liked them.

Then before I could fill another batch Paul got to the molds and made his own version of a healing popsicle, he filled them with fizzy root beer.   Clara experienced a quick recovering from a high fever on the couch and has since been declaring it was all because of Daddy's yummy popsicles......Gak!

It's great to be 8!

We celebrated Peter's birthday last Saturday.  It looks like he may have turned 71 but that is just our version of "8" with what we had on hand.  So is the pile of crepes, I dropped the ball on a cake and the felt birthday crown.  But I was later told by the birthday boy that those were the best crepes ever (I suspect it has to do with the rich duck eggs I threw in).

In the past Peter's birthday always included Indian carry out.  You see my first two children arrived more than a week early and it was so frustrating to have Peter's due date arrive with a baby still nestled inside me. Paul had bribed me with the spending rights to whatever extra tax refund would come if he was born before the year's end.  I spent a week jogging on the treadmill and eating spicy Indian food to help facilitate the process.  Nothing happened except a bit of heartburn.  Peter came in his own time and what a thrill it was to finally hold him.  It was also exciting to later discover he loved Indian food.  He still does so I suppose we'll have to continue the celebration with some carry out or frozen Deep Foods sometime this week (or the weeks to come if I end up passing by my due date). 

But there was no complaining about the treats served on this year's birthday.  Paul took the kids into Jackson to the Parlour for a banana split big enough to feed the whole family.  This was followed by a stop at the Toy House where Peter picked out the Hogwarts Express Lego set.    

They spent the rest of the day lost in the joy of Legos.  

The celebrating continued into today when our kind neighbors brought by a personalized cake.  

And what made this birthday so special was Peter's baptism.  We kept it very simple and were grateful for family and friends who were able to attend and participate.  I'm still a bit sorry that my low energy prevented me from hosting even the simplest of gatherings after but perhaps that is what made this event all the more special - I got to focus on and enjoy the baptism without the distraction or pressure to entertain.

Peter is a great kid.  Full of enough energy, funny faces and funny commentaries to throw a whole crowd of children into "the goofs".  And just when this mother has had enough of "the goofs", this growing boy wraps his arms so tenderly around my giant belly and reminds me of the phrase I often chanted when he was smaller, "nothing could be sweeter than my little Peter".  A few years ago he suggested we start counting our hugs, we lost count beyond a couple 1,000 so now when we hug we make up some ridiculously large number like 1,004,562,001.  Oh how I love being the lucky mother who gets to share so many laughs and hugs with this special boy.      

Rembrandt faces of Jesus

This was the one field trip I was determined to squeeze in before the baby arrives.  How could we pass up such an amazing exhibit?  Especially when visiting the DIA was on the top of William's list for 2012.

I wisely left the younger two at home and invited Nanny and Poppy to come along and enjoy this experience with us.  

We spent over an hour strolling through Rembrandts works with self guided headsets.  I was comfortably engrossed but I can't say this was true for all my little tag alongs.  The girls were more excited about playing with the gadget that led the tour than the tour itself.  And after staying up the night before until 12:30 am to watch the Sugar Bowl the boys seemed to be sleep walking through it all, a security guard stopped us more than twice to keep them from leaning on the walls.  That said I suppose their impressions of the exhibit will surface throughout this week and maybe even along side our scripture study in the years to come.

Some where along the tour Clara asked "is that what Jesus really looked like?", "Why didn't someone just take a picture of him?"  To which I explained the significance of this exhibit.  There were no photos at that time, there was very little record of what Jesus looked like, but Rembrandt through much study, practice and pondering revolutionized the face of Jesus. Rembrandt was able to depict Jesus as serenely human.  We saw this through a series ink sketches, etchings, prints and paintings.  It was incredible to see so up close in such a large collection.

We made a stop at the cafe then on to our favorite stops - first the mummies, then Diego Rivera courtyard, the knights and finally the modern impressionists.

Every time we visit I am overwhelmed by the collection.  I wonder how I could not have appreciated it, or even the history of Detroit as child growing up not too far away.  I use to think Detroit was a place where people got shot and mugged not a place of amazing culture. 

I certainly appreciated it today, maybe because the sun was shining so brightly as it so rarely does here in winter.  It was bright enough to invite us to sit out by "the Thinker" for a while.

It was fun to watch my own little thinkers think about "the Thinker".  

But with only three more weeks until my due date by body was telling me I had enough walking and standing on my feet.  I was the one who was first to poop out on this field trip.  

William once again left with his camera full of pictures and head full of art projects to create, Poppy treated them to a trip to the gift shop where James picked out Newton's cradle then just before loading in the van Nanny handed me over a plate of fresh baked muffins for our trek home.  This is always a field trip worth taking.    

A Yule Log for the New Year

Paul spent most of his vacation working, not on his laptop but off with a chain saw and tractor collecting and splitting wood.  

  

Even the evenings we spent visiting and celebrating with family were consumed with the conversation of wood.  So in honor of all his hard work and enthusiasm we celebrated the New Year with a Yule log cake.  

Maryanna and Peter were on cooking duty for the week so they assisted me in trying out this recipe.  It was super rich and yummy with fresh eggs from our ducks, thick cream from our cow share and the contents of a whole vanilla bean.  It did not stand a chance resting in the fridge while we waited for dinner to finish roasting in the oven, the cake became the dinner.  And perhaps this dinner will become a new New Years tradition.   

The kids savored each bite and licked their plates as we discussed all the exciting things 2012 may present.  

To be sure there is much more work ahead.......

but so is there the promise of reward and satisfaction of a job well done.  Happy 2012!

Happy Homemade Christmas 2011: gifts from me

I'll have to say after hours spent browsing Pinterest there was no limit to the gifts I wanted to make.  But I resisted the temptation to wear my self tired and cranky in the name of crafting and only committed to making a few gifts.

Here's what I made for James, William, Peter and Henry, colorful wool comforters.

I realized they really needed these the night I spent helping Henry sleep in his own bed.  So far we have solely heated our house with the wood stove downstairs but upstairs does get chilly at night. The boys probably have the coldest room in the house dipping into the high 50's.  They actually haven't complained about it and in fact I find everyone sleeps better.  But still I thought they could use a nice cozy layer.

I ordered the wool comforters from Zeilinger's here in Michigan then sewed the covers from a collection of colorful sheets from Garnet Hill.  Having grown up on bunk beds I know the frustration of making the top bunk with a regular twin size blanket so I made these just large enough to cover the mattress, these are 42x75.  I will note that the photos really highlight the wrinkles here, but we're no catalog company and I'm just happy if the boys make their beds.

Also Henry is still finding way into my bed at night but these nights he usually drags his new cozy comforter with him. On those nights I really enjoy sharing a corner of it with him.  Paul has since requested I replace our old comforter with a cozy wool one, maybe when we process our own wool?!

Next up: gifts for Paul.  We usually both make gifts for each other but I suppose he was off the hook this year since he's spent most his free time chopping, collecting and stacking wood.  My gift from him this year may just be a warm home.

Here's what I made for him, a collection of pillows to add comfort to the spaces he works and relaxes. 

 I hand embroidered the heart pillow over the course of a few days when my back ached so bad I had no desire to do anything else.  Sitting in "the chair" working on it actually made me feel somewhat productive in my laziness.  The girls watched me in awe and kept saying "it is turning out so beautiful", and "I know you love Daddy because there are so many stitches".

Can you guess where the big "Best Seat in the House" pillow is going?  yes "the chair".  This was done on white denim with freezer paper stencils.     

The trailer pillow was a flash inspiration while looking out the kitchen window at Paul heading in for work in his vintage trailer. I quickly designed it up on Adobe then proceeded as I usually do with freezer paper stencils.  After that and the other stencil pillow I wondered if a silhouette machine would be a good investment, probably not since I have a super long list of homestead supplies and animals to purchase.  This pillow made everyone laugh, even all our neighbors who stopped by for Christmas dinner.

Anyway, it's all just stuff.  What really matters is the love we put into it and the love we offer alongside it.  And that is exactly why I cut back my "to make" Christmas list, I knew could not offer my much needed love and attention alongside frenzied production.  What was intended for the girls will probably be a project they'll work alongside me with and for that reason they'll probably love the gift all the more. 

Happy Homemade Christmas 2011: gifts from the kids

Weeks before Christmas when asked what was the favorite Christmas tradition, favorite gifts given and favorite gifts received, the answer was the same, homemade gifts.  So it continues.  This year we started the first week of Christmas because I knew my energy would be lagging.  I also directed the children towards simple creation that could be done without too much help from me.  As pictured above the kids took turns staying up late to work in secret, turning our play room into an elf's workshop.  Here's what they made:

To:  Henry

From:  George

This is a set of homemade playdough mixed with essential oils.  George really enjoyed the messy participation in mixing these up.  We found a perfect sized box at a thrift store to store them.

He also painted him the letter H.  It was picked up at a craft store and George was completely independent in painting it (and himself).  

To:  William 

From:  Henry

I had all sorts of ideas that we could have made for William but Henry had his mind set on Star Wars guys.  So we made some out of FIMO, Henry did a lot of the work but Peter helped us so they would be true to character.  

I took it a step further with an idea I saw on Pinterest.  Before baking these guys I pierced a hole up there back so they could ride a mini zip line like this.  It works out okay but I'm sure William's inventive spirit will find a way to improve the design. 

They also make for funny window ornaments.

To: Maryanna & Clara

From:  William & Peter

The boys worked together on this since it was such a fun project.  They made mini FIMO food for the Calico Critters.  They were over my shoulder looking at mini FIMO food on Pinterest, here's what they came up with:

I'll have to say their favorite part of this project was probably eating all the Trader Joe's vanilla mints so they could have a tidy tin to store the food in.  They then decorated the tins with duct tape paper.

The girls have enjoyed serving up many little feasts to their Critters.  And they have also fretted over already lost tiny pieces.  Looks like this mini FIMO food project will continue into the new year.

To:  Peter 

From:  Clara

Weeks ago we purchased a large suede purse from a thrift store with the intention of remaking it into a tool belt for Peter.  But when Paul pulled out two brand new ones that were just laying around his workshop area our plans changed slightly.  We made a nylon web belt then simply personalized the found tool belts with a burning tool.  This was a perfect gift for Peter because his pockets are always bulging with stuff and can never seem to find a pencil for school time. He's even been sleeping with it on! 

To:  James

From:  Maryanna

James has been practicing magic for a few months now and really needed a box to keep his supplies secret.  Maryanna and I found one the perfect size at a thrift shop then painted it up and added gold stickers.  It was simple to do and a very useful gift, and James admitted to me he was relieved we didn't sew him anything.

To:  George

From:  James

This was probably one of the most exciting gifts to get finished.  Probably because it was James' idea from start to finish and I had my doubts.  We picked up a piece of scrap soft maple from the Re-Use center and James drew on the designs.  An old neighbor helped with cutting them out on the band saw then James spent many hours sanding them down then wood burning on the details.  He made a sheep, a cat, dog, chicken, duck, pig and Michigan football player.  I sewed up a little carrying bucket from an old burlap rice bag.  

James also decided to make something special for Paul.  I'm not sure if this was so much a gift as it was revenge for all the times Paul's beaten him in football, wrestling, chess and ticket to ride.  It is a 50 question test that James assembled out of his encyclopedia brain, I reviewed it and only got a few correct.  Paul says he's going to have to study a bit before officially taking it.  

In addition to this test, James spent several hours the week before Christmas typing up 20 pages of journal entries from his summer train adventure with Nanny and Poppy, that was his gift to them.  Also not pictured are the piles of scraps of paper cut and decorated and delicately wrapped by Maryanna.  She handed them to me with breathless enthusiasm.   

In addition to homemade gifts Santa usually brings at least one big toy per child, Mommy and Daddy offer books, socks, Jammies and other needed tools and art supplies.  But the first gifts opened are always the homemade gifts because like I said earlier these are always the favorites.